UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp Has $17.19 Million Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,576 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 567 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.0% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $17,194,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 975.0% during the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 72.0% in the second quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 2,200.0% in the third quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $1,115.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Roth Mkm set a $769.00 price target on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $996.00.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $976.17 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a twelve month low of $844.06 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23. The stock has a market cap of $433.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.29, a P/E/G ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company’s fifty day moving average is $899.07 and its 200-day moving average is $930.26.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.04 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $930.13, for a total value of $2,232,312.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,860,260. The trade was a 54.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total transaction of $437,390.00. Following the sale, the director owned 8,532 shares in the company, valued at $8,148,060. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 8,465 shares of company stock worth $7,711,088 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.